Sec.  1.768   Notification by and prior approval for submarine cable landing
licensees that are or propose to become affiliated with a foreign carrier.

   Any entity that is licensed by the Commission (“licensee”) to land or
   operate a submarine cable landing in a particular foreign destination market
   that becomes, or seeks to become, affiliated with a foreign carrier that is
   authorized to operate in that market, including an entity that owns or
   controls a cable landing station in that market, shall notify the Commission
   of that affiliation.

   (a) Affiliations requiring prior notification: Except as provided in
   paragraph (b) of this section, the licensee must notify the Commission,
   pursuant to this section, forty-five (45) days before consummation of either
   of the following types of transactions:

   (1) Acquisition by the licensee, or by any entity that controls the
   licensee, or by any entity that directly or indirectly owns more than
   twenty-five percent (25%) of the capital stock of the licensee, of a
   controlling interest in a foreign carrier that is authorized to operate in a
   market where the cable lands; or

   (2) Acquisition of a direct or indirect interest greater than twenty-five
   percent (25%), or of a controlling interest, in the capital stock of the
   licensee by a foreign carrier that is authorized to operate in a market
   where the cable lands, or by an entity that controls such a foreign carrier.

   (b) Exceptions: (1) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, the
   notification required by this section need not be filed before consummation,
   and may instead by filed pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, if
   either of the following is true with respect to the named foreign carrier,
   regardless of whether the destination market where the cable lands is a
   World Trade Organization (WTO) or non-WTO Member:

   (i) The Commission has previously determined in an adjudication that the
   foreign carrier lacks market power in that destination market (for example,
   in an international section 214 application or a declaratory ruling
   proceeding); or

   (ii) The foreign carrier owns no facilities in that destination market. For
   this purpose, a carrier is said to own facilities if it holds an ownership,
   indefeasible-right-of-user, or leasehold interest in a cable landing station
   or in bare capacity in international or domestic telecommunications
   facilities (excluding switches).

   (2) In the event paragraph (b)(1) of this section cannot be satisfied,
   notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, the notification required by
   this section need not be filed before consummation, and may instead be filed
   pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, if the licensee certifies that
   the destination market where the cable lands is a WTO Member and provides
   certification to satisfy either of the following:

   (i) The licensee demonstrates that its foreign carrier affiliate lacks
   market power in the cable's destination market pursuant to  Sec. 63.10(a)(3) of
   this chapter (see  Sec. 63.10(a)(3) of this chapter); or

   (ii) The licensee agrees to comply with the reporting requirements contained
   in  Sec. 1.767(l) effective upon the acquisition of the affiliation. See
    Sec. 1.767(l).

   (c) Notification after consummation: Any licensee that becomes affiliated
   with a foreign carrier and has not previously notified the Commission
   pursuant to the requirements of this section shall notify the Commission
   within thirty (30) days after consummation of the acquisition.

   Example 1 to paragraph (c).   Acquisition by a licensee (or by any entity
   that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under direct
   or indirect common control with the licensee) of a direct or indirect
   interest in a foreign carrier that is greater than twenty-five percent (25%)
   but not controlling is subject to paragraph (c) of this section but not to
   paragraph (a) of this section.

   Example 2 to paragraph (c).   Notification of an acquisition by a licensee
   of a hundred percent (100%) interest in a foreign carrier may be made after
   consummation, pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, if the foreign
   carrier operates only as a resale carrier.

   Example 3 to paragraph (c).   Notification of an acquisition by a foreign
   carrier from a WTO Member of a greater than twenty-five percent (25%)
   interest in the capital stock of the licensee may be made after
   consummation, pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, if the licensee
   demonstrates in the post-notification that the foreign carrier lacks market
   power in the cable's destination market or the licensee agrees to comply
   with the reporting requirements contained in  Sec. 1.767(l) effective upon the
   acquisition of the affiliation.

   (d) Cross-reference: In the event a transaction requiring a foreign carrier
   notification pursuant to this section also requires a transfer of control or
   assignment application pursuant to the requirements of the license granted
   under  Sec. 1.767 or  Sec. 1.767(g), the foreign carrier notification shall reference
   in the notification the transfer of control or assignment application and
   the date of its filing. See  Sec. 1.767(g).

   (e) Contents of notification: The notification shall certify the following
   information:

   (1) The name of the newly affiliated foreign carrier and the country or
   countries at the foreign end of the cable in which it is authorized to
   provide telecommunications services to the public or where it owns or
   controls a cable landing station;

   (2) Which, if any, of those countries is a Member of the World Trade
   Organization;

   (3) The name of the cable system that is the subject of the notification,
   and the FCC file number(s) under which the license was granted;

   (4) The name, address, citizenship, and principal business of any person or
   entity that directly or indirectly owns at least ten percent (10%) of the
   equity of the licensee, and the percentage of equity owned by each of those
   entities (to the nearest one percent (1%));

   (5) Interlocking directorates. The name of any interlocking directorates, as
   defined in  Sec. 63.09(g) of this chapter, with each foreign carrier named in the
   notification. See  Sec. 63.09(g) of this chapter.

   (6) With respect to each foreign carrier named in the notification, a
   statement as to whether the notification is subject to paragraph (a) or (c)
   of this section. In the case of a notification subject to paragraph (a) of
   this section, the licensee shall include the projected date of closing. In
   the case of a notification subject to paragraph (c) of this section, the
   licensee shall include the actual date of closing.

   (7) If a licensee relies on an exception in paragraph (b) of this section,
   then a certification as to which exception the foreign carrier satisfies and
   a citation to any adjudication upon which the licensee is relying. Licensees
   relying upon the exceptions in paragraph (b)(2) of this section must make
   the required certified demonstration in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section
   or the certified commitment to comply with the reporting requirements in
   paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section in the notification required by
   paragraph (c) of this section.

   (f) If the licensee seeks to be excepted from the reporting requirements
   contained in  Sec. 1.767(l), the licensee should demonstrate that each foreign
   carrier affiliate named in the notification lacks market power pursuant to
    Sec. 63.10(a)(3) of this chapter. See  Sec. 63.10(a)(3) of this chapter.

   (g) Procedure. After the Commission issues a public notice of the
   submissions made under this section, interested parties may file comments
   within fourteen (14) days of the public notice.

   (1) If the Commission deems it necessary at any time before or after the
   deadline for submission of public comments, the Commission may impose
   reporting requirements on the licensee based on the provisions of  Sec. 1.767(l).
   See  Sec. 1.767(l).

   (2) In the case of a prior notification filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of
   this section in which the foreign carrier is authorized to operate in, or
   own a cable landing station in, a non-WTO Member, the licensee must
   demonstrate that it continues to serve the public interest for it to retain
   its interest in the cable landing license for that segment of the cable that
   lands in the non-WTO destination market by demonstrating either that the
   foreign carrier lacks market power in that destination market pursuant to
    Sec. 63.10(a)(3) of this chapter or the market offers effective opportunities
   for U.S. companies to land and operate a submarine cable in that country. If
   the licensee is unable to make either required showing or is notified that
   the affiliation may otherwise harm the public interest pursuant to the
   Commission's policies and rules under 47 U.S.C. 34 through 39 and Executive
   Order No. 10530, dated May 10, 1954, then the Commission may impose
   conditions necessary to address any public interest harms or may proceed to
   an immediate authorization revocation hearing.

   Note to paragraph (g)(2): The assessment of whether a destination market
   offers effective opportunities for U.S. companies to land and operate a
   submarine cable will be made under the standard established in Rules and
   Policies on Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Market,
   Market Entry and Regulation of Foreign-Affiliated Entities, IB Docket Nos.
   97–142 and 95–22, Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, 12 FCC Rcd
   23891, 23946 at paragraph 130,  62 FR 64741 , December 9, 1997.

   (h) All licensees are responsible for the continuing accuracy of information
   provided pursuant to this section for a period of forty-five (45) days after
   filing. During this period if the information furnished is no longer
   accurate, the licensee shall as promptly as possible, and in any event
   within ten (10) days, unless good cause is shown, file with the Commission a
   corrected notification referencing the FCC file numbers under which the
   original notification was provided.

   (i) A licensee that files a prior notification pursuant to paragraph (a) of
   this section may request confidential treatment of its filing, pursuant to
    Sec. 0.459 of this chapter, for the first twenty (20) days after filing.

   (j) Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all notifications
   described in this section must be filed electronically through the
   International Bureau Filing System (IBFS). A list of forms that are
   available for electronic filing can be found on the IBFS homepage. For
   information on electronic filing requirements, see part 1,  Sec.  Sec. 1.1000 through
   1.10018 and the IBFS homepage at http://www.fcc.gov/ibfs. See also  Sec.  Sec. 63.20
   and 63.53.

   Note to  Sec. 1.768: The terms “affiliated” and “foreign carrier,” as used in
   this section, are defined as in  Sec. 63.09 of this chapter except that the term
   “foreign carrier” also shall include an entity that owns or controls a cable
   landing station in a foreign market.

   [ 67 FR 1622 , Jan. 14, 2002, as amended at  70 FR 38797 , July 6, 2005]

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